Photograph shows how barely 3 people can stand along the width of the road. Local Green Party members Barbara Haig (R) and Michael Mann (L) with Jeanetta Harper in the middle and Councillor Cadogan Enright at rear.

The Green Party has been campaigning to have street lighting installed at a ‘rat run’ linking the Ballynahinch / Crossgar Road through the village of Listooder to the Belfast / Crossgar Road. Children and the older generation use this road regularly when getting off the bus at the top of this road and walk down into Listooder.

Councillor Cadogan Enright said “The Green Party are concerned as this piece of road is particularly dangerous during the winter months and darker evenings when school children, the elderly and Listooder locals have to walk down this road with no lighting or illumination and no footpath or verges to walk on with room for only one car to pass at a time”.

Cadogan Enright said “I have written to the Department for Regional Development (DRD), responsible for street lighting, expressing my concerns on this matter. I received a reply stating that this road does not meet the criteria for getting street lighting. I was told that the road must have a significant accident history before being considered. I feel this is a completely unacceptable response in which local people have simply been told that they have to wait for someone to be seriously injured or worse before they can even be considered.”

Local resident Jeanetta Harper said “I was totally stunned at the department’s reply saying that there had not been enough serious accidents or not enough development on Listooder Road to warrant the street lights being brought up a bit further to the bus stop. I feel that Listooder is being discriminated against. I have heard that plenty of work is carried out in rural areas, Drumaness got approximately 22 lights installed and Brennans garage area got extra lights recently.”

“Firstly there is not enough room for 10 houses they require on this small bit of road leading from the bus stop on the hill past the Orange Hall down to the village. Secondly saying that they are waiting for an accident to happen on a road which is a rat run for Ballynahinch is TRULY unbelievable. There isn’t even a footpath and the road is only one car width at the junction with the main road. When I am cutting grass outside my house (which I believe is the responsibility of DARD) I have had many close shaves,” said Jeanette Harper.

Councillor Enright concluded, “I created a petition for local residents in which they were able to collect the signatures of over 70 local people in protest of this response from the DRD. We sent this to the DRD and still they have refused to act. Listooder has grown considerably in the past 20 years, vehicles travel up to the main road. Lights and a footpath are seriously needed. I am seeking an on-site inspection with the officials concerned”.

Press Cuttings: Listooder road safety concerns.